Dressed For Success

A couple of months ago, I commissioned myself to hand make a traditional Waldorf style doll for my little guy Chi-Chi. My introduction to the magical world of doll making evoked a number of emotions ranging from excitement, to heated frustration to satisfaction. The birth of “Little Dude with the Wild ‘Do” left me creatively drained for a short spell. As a result, the poor little guy has been running around bare-buffy until recently. With Chi-Chi’s 3rd birthday fast approaching, the pressure was mounting to create a wardrobe for the “Little Dude”. I’ve been impatiently stowing him away, saving him for Chi-Chi’s very special day.

I’m pleased to say that I managed to create a presentable set of duds for the little guy. His outfit will certainly not be making headlines in the fashion mags, but I’m proud that I created it with my own two hands. I knitted a very simple sweater using an earthy hand-dyed wool from the Fleece Artist. I picked up a simple clothing pattern from a local fabric shop and was able to whip up a snuggly little pair of brown cords. “Little Dude” appears content and cozy in his new attire and is well dressed for winter! The calendar may report the arrival of spring, but Jack Frost has yet to leave our neighborhood! I’ll have to get to work on a cool little set of surf trunks in anticipation of the warmer days to come

I anticipate that Chi-Chi and Little Dude will develop a strong companionship once introduced. To assist in the toting of this newfound friend, I purchased an adorable Maya Wrap doll ring sling from Nurtured Products for Parenting (www.nurtured.ca). Like all three year olds, Chi-Chi loves to mimic his role models. He’ll be so excited to don his new sling which is identical to the one Mommy uses to carry baby brother Muffy.

My good friend Nurtured Mom is also working diligently on a Waldorf Doll for her little guy. Her blog (www.nurturedproductsforparenting.blogspot.com) provides some great photos detailing the progression of the doll “birthing process”. I simply can’t wait to see how her little dude evolves!

"Little Dude's" days stuffed in the back of the hall closet are coming to an end. He'll soon emerge to meet a sweet, curious, imaginative and charming little friend who will care for and love him as much as the hands who created him.

Fit For A King

I'm thrilled and excited to report that we were recently honored with a royal visit at Seaside Farms II. I spent the afternoon entertaining Old King Cole and his faithful sidekick, the Little Prince. Their whirlwind visit was brief but lively. We skipped the traditional afternoon tea and scones and opted for grapes, crackers and milk. No doubt I will be graced by the presence of their highnesses sometime in the near future.

I’m always on the look out for fun and unique items to toss in the family’s “tickle trunk”. At the age of 3, Chi-Chi is particularly fascinated with dress-up and role-playing. We’ve been reading Mother Goose lately and he has taken a liking to the merry old soul, King Cole. Felt play crowns are a popular item on natural toy websites and I’ve been coveting one for quite some time. Perhaps this relates to my own deeply-rooted childhood fantasies of being a princess, or perhaps it simply relates to my deep love of all things wool! Regardless, I felt the time had arrived to extend beyond my knitting comfort zone and tackle this project. I discovered a fabulous and amazingly simple pattern at Little Turtle Knits (www.littleturtleknits.com). I’m a novice knitter who, until this point, had not ventured beyond the infamous beginner scarf. I was astonished at how simple this endeavour turned out to be. Felted projects are great for beginners as the felting process helps mask the odd (or in my case many) sloppy stitch. I amended the pattern slightly to suit my taste and embellished the finished crowns with needle felted jewels and gemstones.

The kiddies were thrilled with their new headwear and have been prancing around the house like royalty ever since. Hmmmmmm. Perhaps these little woolen crowns are not providing the unique and imaginative play experience I had envisioned. Don’t these two little princes already receive the royal treatment around here? Perhaps I should have indulged in my own childhood fantasies and created a crown for myself instead. Afterall, doesn’t every fairy deserve a crown?